HYDE — This time of year, when it comes to the hardwood, playoff fever is at a peak level. The anxious wait to find seeding, opponents, and locations are always on the minds of teams, and it makes it hard to prepare for an opponent. The Clearfield Bison, luckily, had over a week to prepare for their contest, and had the luxury of knowing exactly where they would get to play. With a packed crowd inside their own Bison Gymnasium, the PIAA state playoffs for Class 4A would get under way, as the Bison welcomed in the third place team from District 7, the Laurel Highlands Mustangs.
A game that had Clearfield as a double-digit underdog saw the two squads play a very evenly matched game, surprising many in the crowd. Clearfield battled tough, even getting multiple leads in the early going. However, the speed, the talent, and the maneuverability of the Mustangs won out, handing Clearfield a 82-59 loss that brought their season to a conclusion.
“They are a very good team. Well-coached, and both Keondre (Deshields) and Rodney (Gallagher) have so much talent,” Clearfield Bison head coach Nate Glunt said afterwards. “You know, we wanted to get out to a fast start, and we played to our ability. But, just some of those early shots just did not fall and we got behind.”
The Mustangs saw Deshields and Gallagher begin rolling early, combining for 18 of the squad’s 24 points in the first quarter. A couple dunks by Deshields got the visitors’ bench to get loud. By contrast, the Bison’s all-time leading scorer, Cole Miller, had trouble getting shots to fall from his usual deep range. What the senior did manage was to get penetration into the paint, finding a sweet spot on the left side of the bucket.
Clearfield would go down 24-15 after one quarter, but their never quit attitude still showed in the second as Miller managed to find his sweet spot again for a trio of lay-ins. The star senior finished the night with 13 points, one of three Bison players in double figures.
But, Laurel Highlands still was finding success as both Deshields and Gallagher were not just getting points, but also dishing to teammates.
Deshields finished his night with a game-high 30 points, going 14-for-21 from the floor, plus five rebounds and a pair of steals. Gallagher followed him with 25 points, ending up just short of a double-double as he added in nine assists. Teammate Patrick Cavannash would achieve a double-double on the night, adding in 10 points and 11 rebounds. The starting five for the Mustangs, all seniors, accounted for all but three of the team’s points.
Heading into halftime, Clearfield was down 41-29, but the heart of the team kept beating, and Braison Patrick would show that despite being a freshman, he had matured beyond his years and quickly became a go-to leader on the squad.
In the third quarter, he would account for seven of the first nine points scored by the Bison. The young Bison would finish with a team-high 15 points, going 5-for-9 from the floor. Along with Miller, Andon Greslick added in 13 points of his own.
At the end of three, Clearfield was starring at a 59-46 deficit, but made a game of it as they cut the lead to as little as eight. However, it was clear that they were getting outplayed, and began to try to quickly get back into it, resulting in some turnovers that caused the score to stretch out in the last few minutes.
“Our guys, they were not intimidated. The kids were excited and amped up to play in this kind of environment, and had fun,” Glunt said. “It may not say it on the scoreboard, but they played tough.”
Late in the going, with the game firmly in control, Glunt called a final time out to give his three senior starters, Miller, Greslick and Morgen Billotte, a curtain call to conclude their time on the Bison hardwood.
At the end of the night, once the final buzzer went off, the entire gymnasium gave both teams a standing ovation for the effort they put in. That sight, along with the view in the Bison Gym, did not go past Glunt.
“What an amazing crowd tonight, the best one we’ve had all year. A great student section, a great community that supports us, and those fans that made the drive to support the Mustangs, they deserve credit, too,” he said. “I am so proud of this team, this town. We’ve had a great year. Hate to see it end.”
Clearfield’s 2022-2023 campaign concludes with a 17-7 record. The Bison set three records this year. Miller became the school’s all-time scoring leader, and the team as a whole set records for both consecutive District 9 championship appearances (10) and consecutive District 9 championships (9), three being with Class 3A and the last six being Class 4A.
Laurel Highlands will move into the second round of PIAA state playoffs, playing Tuesday night against Hampton.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Laurel Highlands 24 17 18 23 – 82
Clearfield 15 14 17 13 – 59
Laurel Highlands – 82
Keondre Deshields 14 1-2 30, Rodney Gallagher 12 0-0 25, Mason Bolish 2 0-0 5, Blaise Kriener 4 0-0 9, Patrick Cavannash 5 0-0 10, Ethan Koffler 0 0-0 0, Nate Schwertzfeger 0 0-0 0, Michael Mitiner 1 0-0 2, Shane Layton 0 0-0 0, Antwan Black 0 1-2 1. TOTALS 38 2-4 82.
Clearfield – 59
Parker Collins 0 0-0 0, Ev Maines 0 0-0 0, Luke Pallo 3 0-0 6, Kam Kushner 0 0-0 0, Kai Lynch 0 0-0 0, Braison Patrick 5 2-2 12, Andon Greslick 5 0-0 13, Anthony Lopez 1 0-0 3, Morgen Billotte 3 2-2 9, Braylen Way 0 0-0 0, Cole Miller 5 2-2 13. TOTALS 22 6-6 59.
GAME STATISTICS
Laurel Highlands/Clearfield
- Shooting: 38-65/22-48
- Rebounds: 24/17
- Fouls: 10/8
- Turnovers: 9/14
- Three-Point Shots: Deshields, Gallagher, Bolish, Kriener/Patrick-3, Greslick-3, Lopez, Billotte, Miller
Game Officials: Roger Walter, Kevin Doverspike, Ryan Smith
Final Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
12/02 @ Curwensville 56 – 39 1 – 0
12/07 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 53 – 49 2 – 0
12/09 @ Punxsutawney 42 – 47 2 – 1
12/15 HOLLIDAYSBURG ppd. 2 – 1
12/19 @ Bald Eagle Area 34 – 50 2 – 2
12/21 WEST BRANCH 64 – 59 3 – 2
12/27&28 @ Cambria Heights Tourney
12/27 vs. Williamsburg 61 – 37 4 – 2
12/28 vs. Cambria Heights 51 – 41 5 – 2
01/03 TYRONE 61 – 59 6 – 2
01/05 @ Bellefonte 46 – 43 7 – 2
01/09 @ Huntingdon 45 – 40 8 – 2
01/12 PENNS VALLEY 55- 26 9 – 2
01/17 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 40 – 43 9 – 3
01/20 @ Hollidaysburg 51 – 69 9 – 4
01/24 BALD EAGLE AREA 49 – 39 10 – 4
01/27 @ Tyrone 39 – 76 10 – 5
01/31 BELLEFONTE 49 – 62 10 – 6
02/02 HOLLIDAYSBURG 66 – 50 11 – 6
02/03 HUNTINGDON 65 – 50 12 – 6
02/07 @ Penns Valley 43 – 35Â 13 – 6
02/09 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 65 – 52 14 – 6
02/14 CURWENSVILLE 69 – 39 15 – 6
02/15 DUBOIS 59 – 55 16 – 6
03/03 D9 AAAA Finals vs. St. Marys 47 – 30 17 – 6
03/10 PIAA First Round Game vs. Laurel Highlands 59 – 82 17 – 7
